Chalk Outline
By: Veronica Smith
Let me just start out with this: if
you know me, you know I am Criminal Justice Major ok? Now go look at the cover
of this book. Now tell me; this cover doesn’t just make those who enjoy
investigating crime or reading crime will not want to check this book out. Meaning
I had to read it, right? Ok then, here’s the scoop!
Next, I learn that the book has Detectives
in it, meaning yes, I am going not going to be putting this book down anytime
soon. And their names are Darius and Jake, and they have been doing their jobs
for quite some time, so it’s not like its nothing new to them. These guys have
seen their fair share of… well you know, just about anything.
But let’s face it people, when the
victim ends up being a child, the entire universe feels it, and mourns with
you. Everyone will be watching, and you know it. From the victim’s parents, to
the Newspapers, the TV stations, and not just the local ones either, and it
will be on blast on social media. So, your best bet is to be on your best
behavior and do everything you can. And God willing, at top speeds. And doing
this job: isn’t going to easy….
And what’s even worse, is the person
isn’t stopping with one child, no this killer is going on a vendetta for more
and more children. Putting everyone on edge that have Children.
Eventually, Darius and Jake meet
Jessica. A mother to one of the victims. Jessica has gifts, as she calls them.
And she thinks that these gifts may be able to help the Detectives catch this
morbid killer and bring him to justice.
Yes, it is Jake is in fact
skeptical, but Darius, he is not. And he is going to put his faith is Jessica.
And he wants to use her skills to help find this person and solve this mystery.
And when the killer finally strikes
way too close to home, the team go into overdrive to solve this case. This is
when Jessica will start wondering if this gift is a curse, after all. Because
now her gift has bought the truth into reality right in front of her very own
eyes. Is this the answer she really wanted? Is this what Darius and Jake
expected too?
To get all your answers answered,
you must read this book and find out. But I promise you, it is a five-star age
turned that will keep you guessing with every turn of that page. So why not get
your copy today and find what you’ve been wondering! I promise you an exciting
ride, because this writer will give you the thrill you have been craving and
much more!
Here are my questions for Veronica
Smith:
1.
What made you write this book and
how long did it take you?
I heard a song on the radio one day
driving home from work. The line was something about being in a chalk outline.
My mind took over from there. I wondered what would happen if someone could see
what happens to a victim while being in the outline. I fine tuned it to where
Jessica can see the last few seconds of the victim’s life. It took me over two
years to write it despite it only being 30K words. At the time, that was the
longest story I’d written. I’d only written short stories before.
2.
Who designed the beautiful cover?
The artist is my friend, Lisa
Vasquez. Not only is she the CEO of Stitched Smile Publications, she does
amazing covers. She is also a talented author as well.
3.
Do you have any photos or
descriptions of the characters that you can share with us?
I tend not to put too much
description into my characters. When I read a book I tend to form my own ideas
of what they look like. So I keep it kind of vague when I write. In Chalk
Outline I did have Shemar Moore, from Criminal Minds and SWAT, in mind while I
wrote the character of Darius. He’s my TV crush. He’s very hot!
4.
What are you working on now?
I’ve just have had a Collection of
short stories accepted for publication with Stitched Smile Publications. It’s
called Transparent Walkways and is only at the beginning stages of publication.
I’m very excited about it. It had several stories in varied forms of horror.
From psychological to creatures to my first dark humor; it has a little bit of
everything. I’ve also put a little of my flash fiction in between the stories.
My current WIP is a Young Adult zombie novel called Just Get There. This
originally started as a short story called The Treehouse that was in the
anthology Bite Sized Offerings. My friend, Mysti, told me many times to turn it
into a novel so I’ve expanded it. I’m around the halfway point now at 40K words.
And as always, I’m still writing short stories when an idea hits me. I’m
currently on a new one called Retribution.
5.
What motivates you to write?
It’s like an impulse. When I get an
idea (and I get them in the weirdest places, the shower, in the car driving
home) I have to jot it down. Sometimes it’s just rambling; incomplete
sentences, just whatever I need to get out of my head so I don’t lose it. I
also keep a small audio recorder in my purse to record whatever I need to while
I’m driving. I may not touch it again for weeks if ever (I have several
partials that have never been finished) but at least I haven’t lost it.
Nightmares make for great stories and more than one of mine as well as my
husband’s have been turned into stories.
6.
If you were to get writers block, or
have ever had it, what do you do for it?
Oh yeah I’ve had it. In fact, back
in August of 2017 I got stuck on my WIP Just Get There. So I put it aside and
went to something else, putting my Collection together. Once that was done I
went back to the book and sure enough I had ideas bleeding from my ears and I’m
cranking out words on it.
7.
What suggestions can you offer for
the aspiring writers out there?
Never, ever give up. No matter how
many rejections you get, keep submitting. I’ve had stories rejected several
times only to be accepted when I least expected it. I always say that each
rejection is just a stepping stone to the story’s home.
8.
How long have you been writing
My first short story was accepted
into an anthology and published in December of 2014 but I’ve been writing since
I was a child. When I was in Junior High (they call that Middle School now –
damn I’m old!) I’d started two detective books, similar to Nancy Drew, which
heavily influenced me. I’ve never seriously finished anything until that first
accepted short. Once that happened I realized my dream could actually be a
reality. It was the push I needed to keep going.
9.
What are your hobbies?
Reading (when I have the time) and writing. I’ve
learned to love flash fiction. It’s fun although it’s a lot harder to do than
it looks. I love camping even though we haven’t been in a while. Not primitive
of course (remember I’m old – haha). We used to have a travel trailer and that
was about as primitive as we got. We did the tent thing for years and I’m done
with that. I still enjoy cabins though. When my in laws were alive we would all
go camping at Thanksgiving. So many funny things happened during these. BTW
- make sure you lock your ice chests
that are outside. Raccoons can into anything that isn’t locked. Haha!
10.
Do you put yourself into your
characters?
I have several times, especially the
stories based on my nightmares. Sometimes I base my main character on what I
wish I could be like, more so than how I really am. Everyone wants to be brave
and tough and I’d like to think I’d really do those things in real live but I
would hope I’d never have to test that theory. I use friends as other
characters as well and not just their names. If I use a friend or someone who
wins a part in a book, then I always ask them for some of their more
interesting hobbies or quirks. I like to turn the character more into them.
11. Where is your favorite place to write?
Sometimes I write at home but I have
a laptop and I REALLY hate typing on a laptop. Flat keyboards are my downfall.
I can’t type worth a crap on them. I’m usually at work more than an hour before
I start work (I carpool with my husband most days) and then I get an hour for
lunch. So I have an hour, sometimes two to write. I have two really nice big
screen monitors (I’m a drafter by day so I need big screens) and a regular
keyboard so I can kick ass while I’m on it. The only problem writing at work is
I’ll be typing away, my ideas flowing and I’m really into it then suddenly
realize I have to start work or lunch is over. So I have to cut it off right
then and there. I have to just hold in everything else that wants to spill out
from my brain. That’s hard to do.
12. Please share with us your social media and book links:
All my published work is here on my Amazon page:Chalk Outline is my novella and Salvation is my novel. The other books are anthologies that I have short stories in.
viewAuthor.at/VeronicaSmith
https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B014JCZQT4
I have a Facebook author page as well as a Twitter page
(although I don't always get the Tweeting thing)
www.facebook.com/Veronica.Smith.Author
https://twitter.com/Vee_L_Smith
https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronica-smith-author/
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/veronica-smith
https://kvzsmithwordpresscom.wordpress.com/
13. Anything to add:
I’ve been doing several cons and
vendor tables in the past year and found how much fun it is. You get to meet people
who want to buy your book in person. Several times it’s someone who bought one
before only to come back and buy a different book because they liked the first
one so much. I love that. I write because I love it. Sure everyone would love
to be able to write full time and I’m no different, but until that day I’m
happy to be able to write out my stories and I love to hear from readers.
Chalk Outline by Veronica SmithMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Let me just start out with this: if you know me, you know I am Criminal Justice Major ok? Now go look at the cover of this book. Now tell me; this cover doesn’t just make those who enjoy investigating crime or reading crime will not want to check this book out. Meaning I had to read it, right? Ok then, here’s the scoop!
Next, I learn that the book has Detectives in it, meaning yes, I am going not going to be putting this book down anytime soon. And their names are Darius and Jake, and they have been doing their jobs for quite some time, so it’s not like its nothing new to them. These guys have seen their fair share of… well you know, just about anything.
But let’s face it people, when the victim ends up being a child, the entire universe feels it, and mourns with you. Everyone will be watching, and you know it. From the victim’s parents, to the Newspapers, the TV stations, and not just the local ones either, and it will be on blast on social media. So, your best bet is to be on your best behavior and do everything you can. And God willing, at top speeds. And doing this job: isn’t going to easy….
And what’s even worse, is the person isn’t stopping with one child, no this killer is going on a vendetta for more and more children. Putting everyone on edge that have Children.
Eventually, Darius and Jake meet Jessica. A mother to one of the victims. Jessica has gifts, as she calls them. And she thinks that these gifts may be able to help the Detectives catch this morbid killer and bring him to justice.
Yes, it is Jake is in fact skeptical, but Darius, he is not. And he is going to put his faith is Jessica. And he wants to use her skills to help find this person and solve this mystery.
And when the killer finally strikes way too close to home, the team go into overdrive to solve this case. This is when Jessica will start wondering if this gift is a curse, after all. Because now her gift has bought the truth into reality right in front of her very own eyes. Is this the answer she really wanted? Is this what Darius and Jake expected too?
To get all your answers answered, you must read this book and find out. But I promise you, it is a five-star age turned that will keep you guessing with every turn of that page. So why not get your copy today and find what you’ve been wondering! I promise you an exciting ride, because this writer will give you the thrill you have been craving and much more!
View all my reviews
